After my massive shop at Aldi's last Friday, that I am counting on the June grocery budget, other than milk, juice, and bread, we didn't need groceries this week. DH has this weird obsession though with grocery shopping and when he got frozen pizza and ice cream post concert, he picked up other things. Then on his day off, he managed another shop, and I am pretty clueless now what we have causing the freezer to practically burst. On my schedule today is to do a good look through and hopefully do some batch cooking. With two soccer games wedged in with a hectic work week, and finals for DD before her last day of school, and preparing for an out of town tournament, attempting organization in the kitchen will be key.
Batch cook
Chili-I have the fixings to make a super huge pot of it. Even with the warmer weather, we still enjoy it as a hearty and easy to pull together meal.
Bean Burgers-I have several cans of chili beans, a drawer of onions and carrots, and can do a batch of 8, saving a few for later in the month when we'll see DD#1.
Chicken-I'll cook up the lot and then freeze some in diced portions for pasta sauces and stir fries and curry's, sliced for on top of spinach, and some in small cutlets that can be seasoned and reheated on the grill
Ground Beef-Same as chicken, cook it all up with the chili, but reserve some portions for pasta sauce and hot dish
Banana bread-I think the banana's are multiplying in my freezer. A double batch, using my mini loaf pans will be perfect for quick breakfasts, snacks, and to freeze for the tournament, and later in the month for the cabin.
I wish I had better a better storage system to create crock pot meals, ready to go, all laid out in my freezer. Maybe in another life but the prep above will help clean down the freezer, and give me bases to get a quick meal pulled together on week nights.
We've had some additional expenses with fee's for concert tickets and the play, plus upcoming costs of the hotel, more gas, plus a meal or two out for the tournament. DD#2 is in desperate need of swimsuits as the bottoms didn't quite work anymore either. Because of these cash flow items, I'd like to hit below $350 for total groceries, and use up household goods to keep that expense low as well. We have the use of the cabin for three days at the end of the month and will have a few extra kids, and DD#1 so on top of the $350, I thought I'd add another $90, or $30 per day to accommodate teen appetites. I need to find receipts and do some math, but I am probably at $200 already in June with a lot of month left. However, becasue of the packed cupboards and freezers, I feel strongly I can do this. I might just have to hide DH's wallet to get there.
I guess I should count my blessings that Hubs NEVER wants to go grocery shopping and buy things of his own accord. As I look around it seems a rare quality in a DH. Of course he will pick up liquor and beer and the odd bag of chips for his own consumption.
ReplyDeleteA question......do y'all eat all your leftovers or do you pitch quantities of food?
I try to avoid all food wate so leftovers are part of "girls supper" sometimes and DH and I will eat for lunch. The wate comes from things being pushed back of fridge or freezer before being cooked forgotten about. That's part of why his shopping drives me to annoyance as I won't realize we have something. He rarely cooks and if he does its burgers or pasta, or occasionally he'll buy ribs or a roast for crockpot-maybe every three months.
DeleteI hear your pain on the husband shopping thing. TheHub does what I call recreational shopping every afternoon. I do not include it in my grocery budget since he buys things he wants (usually ice cream)
ReplyDeleteHe does that as well. Bags of chips and ice cream show up miraculously (chips are on his no list but he says he watches portion and sodium size-ha, ha, watched but then ignores). He fancies himself a deal shopper and can't resist picking up what he says are bargains, though often they are crap 10 for $10 items like frozen dinners or bagged rice and noodle sides- food ( I say dubiously) that I am trying to not include in our diets.
DeleteYour veggie dish looks so yummy! I love all sorts of vegetable ragu (that's what we call them in Russian) and make them a lot lately. I also like when my fridge is reasonably well stocked, not to the point of bursting though - it's hard to find things in there then! :)
ReplyDeleteOld veggie masala picture but tonight in no time at all was a chicken-broccoli curry stir fry thing.
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